Ekpui, Togo
Ekpui is a small and very remote village on the bank of the Baga river in Togo. No water, no electricity, no commerce. It was a desperate place where only the elderly and children were living. 
Working-age adults traveled to the city of Lome to find work during the week.
The only things this village has are the fish from the river and whatever they can grow in the inhospitable soil around the village.
In a place like this, the best thing you can do is spread small amounts of cash as widely as possible. We did make a few notable contributions here. The people below are the village elders. They are trying to build a school for the village, and have a foundation already in place. They have concrete blocks that they purchased in another nearby village, but no means to get the blocks to Ekpui. We made a contribution that would pay for to get the blocks moved.
We also paid the school fees for one year for Shaunee, the hardest working boy, and Felix, the smartest boy in the village. It was an investment in the future of this village that was greatly received.
In many small villages like this, children do not go to school because the nearest school is too far and the yearly fee (about $50) is too dear. A small gift like this relieves a great burden on a family. I wonder what happens next year.
Here are some more photos from the village.
The sacred river Baga was used for food, laundry, bathing, cooling off, and, well, other things too.
Working-age adults traveled to the city of Lome to find work during the week.
The only things this village has are the fish from the river and whatever they can grow in the inhospitable soil around the village.
In a place like this, the best thing you can do is spread small amounts of cash as widely as possible. We did make a few notable contributions here. The people below are the village elders. They are trying to build a school for the village, and have a foundation already in place. They have concrete blocks that they purchased in another nearby village, but no means to get the blocks to Ekpui. We made a contribution that would pay for to get the blocks moved.
We also paid the school fees for one year for Shaunee, the hardest working boy, and Felix, the smartest boy in the village. It was an investment in the future of this village that was greatly received.
In many small villages like this, children do not go to school because the nearest school is too far and the yearly fee (about $50) is too dear. A small gift like this relieves a great burden on a family. I wonder what happens next year.
Here are some more photos from the village.
The sacred river Baga was used for food, laundry, bathing, cooling off, and, well, other things too.
posted by Easy Track Ghana at 3:05 AM
12 Comments:
Nice. But there is a school in the village. And now there is a secondary school too.
The "sacred river Baga", is Lake Togo. I think 'da Buga' just means the lake.
I recognized a lot of faces, even yours...we met Easter one year there.
Hello Katy !!! How are you? I hope you and your family are well. Send my greetings to all in Ekpui. After all these years, someone has finally corrected my posting! Yes, I learned some time after I visited that this is actually Lake Togo. Hahaha. Akpe akpe
I hope to see you again in Ekpui some day.
Akpe mileo. I love you site. I recognize many of my friends and family members. Do you plan to visit Ekpui again? Do you remember me? I remember you. I remember every yovo I meet in Togo.
I'm not anonymous I'm Katy Ayi, from the house Agbeagi, which is the house that I met you in. I remember that you stayed in Achimota in Accra.
hi, Steve hope u´ve enjoyed staying at Ekpui. And why u did not retune anymore? I am also a RASTAMAN, a MUSICIAN and also a PROFESSOR at UNIVERSITY POLITECHNIC OF SPAIN also THE OWNER OF "MAMA AFRICA REGGAE PUB" IN SPAIN-VALENCIA. Is NIGHT CLUB. I from ASSIKOE, KOSSIVI-FADA house at EKPUI. I was at EKPUI on last EASTER FESTIVAL with my NEW ALBUM trying to entertained the Village but unfortunately their sound system was very bad and i could not performed. But i was INTERVIEWED on TV2 that´s Togo television in LOME. Also i was on INTERVIEWD ON G.T.V Ghana television includin all the F.M. RADIO STATIONS PROMOTING MY NEW ALBUM IN AFRICA AND EUROPE. Anyway there was school at Ekpui very longtime a go. I school at Ekpui and i was their ONLY BEST SINGER OF EKPUI SCHOOL ANIMATION GROUP. Now there is a SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL at Ekpui. When i was at their meeting this year i have also donated CFA.6000.00 to help the ELECTRICITY PROJECT at ZEBE BEACH and u can ask this same AYI AGBEADZI he´s my couson and we all attended school together at Ekpui. His elder brother leave´s in Hambourg.
THIS YEAR I HAVE FORMED "EKPUI SCHOOL FRIENDS" UNION to bring back all the big guys that are from the village and school in the village to help them creating their own self business since the BANK´S would not finance them. THE INNAUGURATION OF THIS NEW "EKPUI SCHOOL FRIENDS" UNION IS TAKING PLACE ON THIS COMING EASTER FESTIVAL AT EKPUI ASSIKOE BEACH. IM THE FOUNDER AND THE LEADER AND OUR web is: WWW.EKPUI-SCHOOL-FRIENDS.BLOGSPOT.COM and OUR
CONTACT-INFO: youngest_style@hotmail.com
This is my web: WWW.MYSTIC-ALPHA.BLOGSPOT.COM
On facebook/mama africa reggae pub ok?
THANK U AND I HOPE
TO SEE U ONE DAY AT EKPUI OK? CIAOOOOOO
WOBOUNABÉ ASSIKOE
I like this post because I recently went to Ekpui for the easter holidays and even blogged about it. Though it is a pretty small place, i find my second hometown really natural and stress free.
I know the original name of river is called Gbaga. But sometimes referred to as lake Togo. The new chief of Ekpui is called Togbui Djahlin II (George Agbodeka)
Dr Billy kedapey jnr
Eric Folly-Bebe
Your article was published in 2007 about 13 years ago. Great job there. You have opened the conversation about this village.
Sir, so many things have since changed and I believe it is appropriate we furnish you with some of the changes in order to make your piece more current.
Now, there is electricity and a secondary school called CEG d'Ekpui from 6ème to 4ème (4 years of studies to have end of college certificate called BEPC).Water project among others are also being worked on.
The village has a very big Association created in the year 2000 and is dubbed Union General d'Ekpui (UGEK). This association is the entirety or the umbrella of sub-groupings, unions, and clubs of natives of the village scartered around the globe. Each year, the Association holds its general meeting in the village and this precedes the celebraton of Easter which is the main celebration of the village. Infact, the village is recognised as the best celebrants of Easter across the whole Togo.
Being mindful and passionate about the development issues of the village, the UGEK which was formery called Ekpui Gbenordju, had put up a mini but attractive hospital for the village and launched same in the year 2000.
A few year later they decided to build a secondary school to help students stop their long reking hours to college in a neigboring village,Togoville,about 3 and half kilometers from Ekpui.
The Association through its annual levy collections and other penalties or fines from the villagers all over the world, was able to employ and pay teachers of the college for about 6 years before the government took over a couple of years now.
There are talks and requests being made here and there to help put up yet another school block to help accommodate the increasing number of students the college has been getting each year as their results are enticing others to bring in their wards.
The college has a very vast land and a very big football field which ought to be well constructed for its obvious reasons.
The bank of the lake Togo which we populary call Gbaga Tornu has since received a face lift.
The one and only one beach, BUTTER BEACH, at wuakor Tornu welcome tourists to fresh breeze of our dear lake.
All the six clans (Zebe, Ashikoe, Savi, Logodome, Totchiave, Wuakor, have all made it a point to ensure that portions of the bank of the lake allocated to each of them is put to good shape making the banks so beautiful lately.
The arrival of the electricity into the village has heightened the interest of native of Ekpui to embark on a speedy building development agenda across all the clans thereby beaubifying the village the more. Buildings are.springing steadily in the village. Houses are being fenced and gated.
Now, there is a hotel in the village situated in a small moutaineous area (tokoindji) looking directly into the lake Gbaga.
The youth in the village now has a whatsap group with close to 100 members across the world. The group, Ekpui Vision Victoire, has the main objective of cleaning the village and its environ every Saturday with a little bit of supports from members (diaspora) in the group. This brings some harmony, love, and the spirit of togetherness among the youth in the village.
Most of these youth now are into motor riding business (Zed) and farming.
The village now has a new Chief who was installed in 2018. His name is Togbui Djahlin George Agbodeka V.
We must state also that there is another sub-village under Ekpui, Adjidodeka about 3 kilometers from Ekpui.
From all indications, the people of Ekpui really want to develop their village to a very admirable stage. They are ready to welcome any community developer, investor, or philanthropist who would buy into major and multiple projects they have.
One such development is to make the Gbaga the best tourist destination among all the costal villages.
I hope the above write-up would add some more insights into the conversation about the village of Ekpui.
This writer can be contacted on +233264171389
THANK YOU for the updates! I love hearing the progress and look forward to visit again someday. I will certainly contact you!
Nice one thank you very much for this 🙋♂️🙋♂️🙋♂️🙋♂️🙋♂️
Hi, bro is Williams Amartey my father from EKPUI but we the children have never been to our hometown until this 2023 easter festival, is also unfortunate my dad has passed on, it was my uncle that took me the village, history revealed itself by knowing dat am from a village called KORP3 - GAA and some also from zebe l was happy during the easier festival at EKPUI it was so interesting bro. I was born in Ghana and grew up in Ghana school in Ghana. Dad gives birth to 4 children, 3 girls and one boy namely, Amarh Amartey Williams, Vivian Dede Amarley Amartey, Vida Amorkor Amartey, and Linda Amarkai Amartey all are in a suburb of Accra. I was happy when I visited my home town. Bro will like to have and one chat with you on WhatsApp if you would not mind, did my WhatsApp (9274576400) Yhanks and hope to hear from you
Bro, you have talked a lot but could not hear you saying something about the culture and heritage of the people of EKPUI, also apart from the easter festival it means EKPUI as a community does not have any festival to honor the founders and the hero of the town, Easter was brought to us by this European missionary we need to have our festival with an African name like GBAGA FESTIVAL EKPUI, we should take note with the Name of the FESTIVAL should be called GBAGA FESTIVAL celebrate by the people of EKPUI, just after the Easter celebration then the festival continuous to honor the elders who founded the village and also the gods of the lake and the gods of land and see how developmental project will flow in the town, WILLIAMS AMARH AMARTEY is the writer, based in ghana, but a through son of EKPUI. Can be contacted on WhatsApp at 0274576400
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